Process for Manufacturing of Iron Carbide Iron carbide (Fe3C) is a high melting point, non-pyrophoric, strongly magnetic synthetic compound obtained in granular form. It consists of around 90 % total iron (Fe) and around 7 % total carbon (C). The primary use of the product is as a metallic charge during steelmaking for substitution of hot metal (HM), direct reduced iron (DRI), or steel scrap. The iron carbide process involves conversion of preheated fine iron ore particles to iron carbide. It reduces iron ore to iron carbide in a fluidized bed reactor, by contacting the iron ore with process gas consisting primarily of methane (CH4) and hydrogen (H2). The process for the manufacturing iron carbide was originally designed and developed at Hazen Research Inc. in Golden, Colorado, USA by the technical vice president Dr. Frank M. Stephens. The process involves reduction of preheated fine iron ore particles (0.1 mm to 1.0 mm) in a closed circuit fluidized bed reactor by preheated process gas containing CH4, H2, CO (carbon mono oxide), CO2 (carbon di oxide) and water vapour(H2O) at 600 deg C. A 50 mm diameter batch reactor was used for the laboratory tests. This was followed by continuous tests on a 600 mm diameter reactor. Iron ore samples from several countries were tested at Hazen. The product was successfully converted to steel by MEFOS in Sweden in a basic oxygen furnace (BOF) in 1979. After the initial laboratory tests at Hazen Research, Inc., Dr. Stephens applied for a patent and was issued on October 11, 1977 ‘US Patent No. 4,053.301’ by the Patent office of the United States. In 1985 Dr. Stephens retired and acquired the rights to the patent on the iron carbide. He formed a company by name ‘Iron Carbide Development Corporation’...